(Photo by Rita Gonsalves)
Piss Test is a tried and true punk band, for better or for worse. They’ve
got 2 EP’s and an LP in their cache which consists of short, bratty bursts of
agitation and frustration mixed with a hearty dose of wit and sarcasm, enough
so that when they’re done with you, it’s hard to tell which end is up. They’re music
is also peppered with their irreverent sense of humor, which much like the
Angry Samoans is one large blazing middle finger in your face. Piss Test sing
about what they think about you, your stupid friends and that ridiculous life
you actually call an earthly existence. They don’t care if you agree or if you
get it or not, these are not their concerns. Their music is so loud and in your face you can’t get a
thought in edgewise and even if you could there’d be no one there to listen. To
me, this is Piss Test: love ‘em for it, hate ‘em for it, they don’t care.
Interview by J Castro
Let’s
start out by telling us who is currently in the band and what everyone does in
Piss Test:
PISS
TEST: Zach plays guitar and sings, Rodrigo
plays drums, Samantha plays bass and sings.
How did
you all meet and decide to play music together?
SAMANTHA: Zach and I are both from Denver. I had a raging teenage
crush on him before he moved to Portland and my persistence worked out. I moved
to Portland almost eight years ago and we met Rodrigo when he joined the band
Therapists. He really impressed us. I did not play music before this band.
ZACH: Despite the
fact that Samantha and I are a couple, it was Rodrigo’s idea to have her play
bass. I asked him to start a band after he quit Therapists. He claimed he was
done playing drums, which was utterly unacceptable.
RODRIGO: I'm glad didn't
stop drumming. I seriously wanted to quit, and play bass.
Your band
is currently based in Portland, OR. With so many other great bands out there at
the moment, is it tough playing shows with so much else going on? I know here
in Phoenix sometimes there are two or three good shows and as a fan, sometimes
it’s hard to choose.
SAMANTHA:
People go to a lot of shows. Our last
show competed with Bad Brains at a huge venue, Fred & Toody Cole of Dead
Moon at a fancy venue and members of Autistic Youth playing in an indie rock
band on a boat and was still decently attended.
ZACH: Most of the good bands in Portland barely play.
RODRIGO: There are so many rad bands here in Portland. At first I
think it was tough, but now I think we are starting to have a following here.
People
have reviewed your records and compared Piss Test’s sound so early ‘80’s
hardcore and bands on the Killed by Death compilations. How would you describe
your sound to someone that’s never heard your band?
ZACH: Recent reviews keep saying we sound like Boston’s The
Proletariat, so I guess we sound like The Proletariat. We were going for more
of a Blood Stains Across Texas meets 100 Flowers vibe.
RODRIGO: I can't think of anything we sound like.
I was
watching this old interview with Henry Rollins and he was saying how much he
hates Bruce Springsteen because he doesn’t offer any solutions to some of the
things he sings about, he just whines about them; things like poverty, social
inequality etc. Do you agree with this at all? Do you think bands should offer
more solutions to the things they talk about in their lyrics?
SAMANTHA:
Nothing that Henry Rollins says
matters. Bruce Springsteen is The Boss. Giving “solutions” or suggestions for
how to live life is a major mistake that Minor Threat made. We hope to never be
like that.
ZACH: Henry Rollins has never solved anything!
RODRIGO: What did Henry Rollins offer? Is he even playing music? Who
cares?
ZACH: One of the things I love about Bruce Springsteen records
like Nebraska is that they are lyrically a collection of short stories. None of
the characters in Piss Test songs are autobiographical. We write about addicts,
aging skate bros, suicidal teenage girls, etc. You can shed light on social
issues by writing about individuals.
Piss
Test’s song lyrics seem to be all over the place in terms of subject matter. Can
you remember the most bizarre person or event that inspired a song? Have you ever
written songs lyrics that you regret for whatever reason?
ZACH: “Necrophilia, It’s Halal” was inspired by a supposed fatwa
issued by Moroccan, Iman Zamzami declaring necrophilia, well, Halal. There were
reports claiming the translation to be sensationalized, but that is completely
irrelevant as far as song writing is concerned. Never regret anything,
especially song lyrics.
SAMANTHA:
In “Nazis” we name drop the tax preparation
software Turbotax. I think that is weird.
ZACH: I stand by the lyrics.
Sometimes
I hear a song and its lyrics or guitar riff are so great I think to myself, man
I wish I would have written that! Have you ever felt that way about a song or lyric
that strikes a similar chord (no corn ball pun intended) with you?
ZACH: All the time. If you don’t feel that way about other
people’s music, you shouldn’t be trying to write music.
SAMANTHA:
Nick Lowe, “Rollers Show,” The Next,
“Cheap Rewards,” the entire Adolescents blue album and Boys Next Door
“Somebody’s Watching Me,” “Death of Innocence” by Legal Weapon and a couple of
hits by the Go-Go’s…
I was
listening to your song “Everybody” from your 2014 LP Biggest Band in Europe (Johnny Cat Records/Taken By Surprise) and
it got me wondering; do you feel people in bands put too much pressure on
themselves to write and/or perform? Do you think that may be why so much
popular rock n’ roll music lacks key ingredients like spontaneity and recklessness
that made it great in the past?
SAMANTHA:
The song isn’t pressure as much as delusions of grandeur.
Some bands don’t work hard enough to write or perform, which is why there are
so many sloppy, shitty, and boring bands.
ZACH: “Everybody” wasn’t inspired by bands who were trying too hard;
it was inspired by bands who were posing too hard.
RODRIGO: I like to think that the best performing bands are having
fun. Great music shouldn't be forced. Bands that sport their best fashion and
hair styles before the music suck ass.
Where can
people go or log on to listen to your music and buy your records?
ZACH: The internet
RODRIGO: Portland
SAMANTHA:
pisstest.bandcamp.com and the coolest
of cool record stores
What does
the rest of 2015 have in store for the mighty Piss Test?
ZACH: More of the same shit
RODRIGO: Hopefully touring more
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